UPSC IAS & State PSC Civil Services Prelims Practice Set 2: Most important MCQs / Practice Test for UPSC CSE and State PSC preliminary examination general studies paper.
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Also, check: UPSC IAS & State PSC Civil Services Prelims Practice Set 1
UPSC IAS & State PSC Prelims Practice Set 2
1. Human Society is unique because it depends mainly on?
(a) Culture
(b) Economy
(c) Religion
(d) Science
Ans. (b)
2. Which of the following is related to Harappa civilization?
(a) Sumerian civilization
(b) Indus Valley Civilization
(c) Vedic civilization
(d) Mesopotamian civilization
Ans. (b)
Harappa is an archaeological site related to Indus Valley Civilization. Since the first archaeological evidence of this civilization was obtained from Harappa, Indus Valley Civilization is also known as Harappa Civilization. Along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of the three ancient civilizations of the world.
3. Indus Civilization existed in?
(a) Prehistoric age
(b) Proto-historic age
(c) Historic age
(d) Post-Historic age
Ans. (b)
Historical period is determined with respect to the available written literature. The period before which knowledge of the art of writing was not available is called early historical age.
Indus Civilization is Proto historical civilization although the writing was known during this period, but it is still to be deciphered.
4. Indus Valley civilization was Non-Aryan because?
(a) It was an Urban Civilization
(b) It has its own script
(c) It has an agricultural economy
(d) It extended up to the Narmada valley
Ans. (a)
Indus Valley Civilization was an earliest known urban civilization of Indian subcontinent whereas Aryan Civilization was rural civilization.
5. The important reason to keep Indus-Valley civilization before Aryan civilization is?
(a) Script
(b) Town Planning
(c) Copper
(d) Potteries
Ans. (d)
The knowledge of script and town planning of Indus Valley Civilization was more developed than that of Pre-Aryans.
Different archaeological pieces of evidence of pottery have been found in the early settlements of Mehrgarh from the Indus Valley Civilization. Pottery found during excavations proves that Indus Valley Civilization existed before Aryan Civilization. The red potteries painted with black figures were the Speciality of Harappan Civilization, whereas the grey painted potteries were used by Aryans.
6. The Indus Valley culture was different from the Vedic Civilization because?
(a) It had the amenities of developed city life
(b) It has a pictographic script
(c) It lacked knowledge of iron and defensive arrow
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d)
The culture of the Indus Valley Civilization was different from the Vedic culture in many ways. The Indus Valley Civilization was urban while the Vedic culture was rural.
The script of Indus Valley Civilization was of depictive expressions. The people of Indus Valley Civilization did not know the use of iron, whereas the people of Vedic Civilization used iron weapons extensively.
7. The source of knowledge about Harappan culture is:
(a) Rock edicts
(b) Writing in terracotta seals
(c) Archaeological excavations
(d) All of the above
Ans. (c)
The first artefact uncovered in Harappa was a unique stone seal carved with a unicorn and an inscription. Similar seals with different animal symbols and writings have been found throughout the region. Although the writing has not yet been deciphered, evidence found during the early archaeological excavations is the major source to know about the Harappan culture.
8. Which of the following throw light on Harappan culture?
(a) Inscription
(b) Archaeological excavations
(c) Handwriting seals on the utensils
(d) Religious books.
Ans. (b)
9. The main source of knowledge about the inhabitants of Indus valley civilizations is the discovery of :
(a) Seals
(b) Utensils, Jewellery, weapons, tools
(c) Temple
(d) Scripts
Ans. (a)
The site of Indus Valley Civilization was excavated (started) in year 1921 and objects such as tools, weapons, ornaments of archaeological or historical interest were found there but the main source to know about this civilization is seals. There were more than 3000 seals found.
10. Which of the following match is not correct regarding the origin of Harappan civilization?
(a) M. Rafique Mughal – Harappan civilization was inspired by Mesopotamian civilization
(b) E.J.H. Mackay – Migration of people from Sumer
(c) Mortimer Wheeler – Migration of the idea of civilization from Western Asia
(d) Amalandanda Ghosh – Pre-Harappan culture matured to make Harrapan civilization
Ans. (a)
About the origin of the Harappan civilization, many scholars have presented different views. E.J.H. Mackay has considered that the origin of the Harappan civilization was due to the the migration of people from Sumer (Mesopotamia), while historian D.H. Gordon and Mortimer Wheeler considered that the Harappan civilization was the result of migration of idea of civilization from Western Asia. In this context, Amalananda Ghosh considered that pre-Harappan culture matured into Harappan civilization. M.F. Rafique Mughal considers that the development of Harappan civilization occurred in the region of Ravi River at Harappa. He refutes the old belief that Harappan civilization was inspired by Mesopotamian civilization.
11. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List-II
A. Harappa 1. N.G. Majumdar (1936-37)
B. Hastinapur 2. John Marshall (1913-34)
C. Takshashila 3. Daya Ram Sahni (1923-24 & 1924-25)
D. Kaushambi 4. B.B. Lal (1950-52)
Codes:
A B C D
(a) 4 2 1 3
(b) 1 3 4 2
(c) 3 4 2 1
(d) 4 1 3 2
Ans. (c)
The correctly matched list is as follows:
Harappa: Daya Ram Sahni (1923-24 & 1924-25)
Hastinapur: B.B. Lal (1950-52)
Takshashila: John Marshall (1913-34)
Kaushambi: N.G. Majumdar (1936-37)
12. The earliest evidence of silver in India is found in the?
(a) Harappan culture
(b) Chalcolithic cultures of western India
(c) Vedic texts
(d) Silver Punch- marked coins
I.A.S. (Pre) 1994
Ans. (a)
Harappans were known to silver. The evidence of its proper use has been found from Mohenjodaro and Harappa. These people used to get silver from mines of Zawar and Ajmer in Rajasthan.
13. Which colour was commonly used in the Harappan Pottery?
(a) Red
(b) Blue-grey
(c) Yellow
(d) Blue
Ans. (a)
The Harappan pottery is bright or dark red and uniformly sturdy and well baked. It consists of wheel-made wares, both plain and painted. The plain ware is usually of red clay with or without a fine red slip. The painted pottery was of red and black colours. Several methods were used by people for the decoration of pottery. Polychrome pottery was rare and mainly comprised small vases decorated with geometric patterns, mostly in red, black and green and less frequently in white and yellow. The colour- scheme adopted for painting was light black, chocolate or light red over buff or greenish buff background.
14. The beginning of idol worship is to be considered in?
(a) Pre-Aryan
(b) Later Vedic period
(c) Mauryan Period
(d) Kushan Period
Ans. (a)
The pre-Aryan period is considered as the beginning of idol worship. Idol worship was prevalent in Indus Civilization and it is evident from the coins discovered from Mohenjodaro having the seal of God. They probably worshipped Mother Goddess in addition to male and female deities.
15. Which one of the following animals was not represented on the seals and terracotta art of the Harappan culture?
(a) Cow
(b) Elephant
(c) Rhinoceros
(d) Tiger
Ans. (a)
The figures of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, deer, sheep, etc. are depicted on the seals and terracotta arts of Harappan culture.
But the cow was not depicted on the seals and terracotta art of the Harappan cultures.
16. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
(a) Chanhudaro
(b) Kotdiji
(c) Sohgaura
(d) Desalpur
Ans. (c)
Sohgaura is a village located on the bank of Rapti River in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. A copper plate inscription of Mauryan period has been found here which gives us information about the storehouses present here.
Chanhudaro, Kot Diji and Desalpur are Harrapan sites.
Chanhudaro and Kot Diji are present in the current Sindh province of Pakistan whereas Desalpur is located in the Kutchh region of Gujarat.
17. Match List- I (Ancient site) with List- II (Archaeological finding) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :
List- I List- II
(Ancient site) (Archaeological finding)
A. Lothal 1. Ploughed field
B. Kalibangan 2. Dockyard
C. Dholavira 3. Terracotta replica of a Plough
D. Banawali 4. An inscription comprising ten large-sized signs of the Harappan script
Code:
A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4
(b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 1 2 4 3
(d) 2 1 3 4
Ans. (b)
The archaeological remains of the Harappan port-town of Lothal are located along the Bhogava River, a tributary of Sabarmati, in the Gulf of Cambay. Kalibangan town is located on the bank of Ghaggar River (Saraswati River) in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. Kalibangan has given the evidence of the earliest ploughed agricultural field ever revealed through excavation. An inscription comprising ten large-sized signs of the Harappan scripts were found from Dholavira of Harappan script. Banawali is located in Fatehabad district of Haryana from where a terracotta replica of a plough was found.
18. A ploughed field was discovered at?
(a) Mohenjodaro
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Harappa
(d) Lothal
Ans. (b)
19. In which of the following Harappan cities, furrows of ploughed fields have been found?
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Dholavira
(c) Mohenjo-daro
(d) Lothal
Ans. (a)
20. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List-I List-II
A. Harappa 1. Cemetery R-37
B. Lothal 2. Dockyard
C. Kalibangan 3. Dancing Girl Statue
D. Mohenjo-Daro 4. Furrowed land
Codes:
A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4
(b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 3 4 1 2
(d) 1 2 4 3
Ans. (d)